By KEVIN C. JOHNSON
Rush wasn't supposed to be enjoying its umpteenth tour right now or the
release of yet another album, much less celebrating its 30th anniversary. In
fact, the veteran prog-rock trio wasn't scheduled to be here at all. At
least, that's what band members figured several years ago.
Drummer Neil Peart's personal tragedies several years ago - the deaths of
his daughter and wife back-to-back - put the band on a hiatus that guitarist
Alex Lifeson thought would never end.
"We sort of resigned ourselves to the fact it was over," says Lifeson,
interviewed by phone last week while the band was in Chicago. "It was a very
sad thing. We had to look back at how long and productive our career was and
live with that."
But, fortunately for the many Rush fans out there, that's not what happened.
After an extended period off, the band returned with "Vapor Trails" in 2002,
followed by the live "Rush in Rio" last year. The group continues moving
forward with the tour that comes to UMB Bank Pavilion on Saturday and an
all-covers CD, "Feedback," that hits stores June 29.
Rush thus adds to a career that already includes multimillion-selling albums
such as "Moving Pictures," "Chronicles" and "2112," and hit singles such as
"Tom Sawyer," "Time Stand Still" and "New World Man."
"We're close friends, and we love each other and the music," Lifeson says.
"We have a great working relationship. We push each other and set pretty
high standards for ourselves."
Looking over the band's history, Lifeson says, "Generally, it's been a very
rewarding experience, getting out there and getting along and spending time
with fans. It's a pretty good combination."
Defining moments over those 30 years include the band's first-ever tour, the
success that came with "Moving Pictures" and the "Vapor Trails" CDs, coming
after Peart's heartbreak.
"Neil's recovery was long and difficult, and our concern was his health. But
he came around and said he wanted to go back to work," Lifeson says. "A lot
of emotion went into that record and follow-up tour."
The band carries no regrets when it comes to its successful career, figuring
it's best not to waste time dwelling on such things.
"You can't change it," Lifeson says. "But every time we've had a record, we
thought we could have done better. But, in the studio, you're so focused
(that) some things can slip through the cracks, and there's always a weak
moment here and there. But we always played our best and tried our hardest."
Rush's many detractors might see it differently. Rush has never earned the
respect of critics outside its native Canada and has yet to win a Grammy
Award or be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
"We know where our audience is and where we are," Lifeson says. "And if
someone cares to recognize us, fine. If not, then fine. Fans get upset we
don't get the kind of respect some others do but, at the end of the day, it
doesn't mean anything to us."
Lifeson says he believes the "philosophical, more thought-provoking" nature
of some of the band's lyrics is too much for some rock journalists.
"And (singer Geddy Lee's) voice is a unique musical instrument, and there's
no middle ground with it," he says. "It's not everybody's cup of tea."
Maybe there will be some converts with "Feedback." Included on the CD are
Rush's take on tunes such as Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" and
"Mr. Soul," the Yardbirds' "Heart Full of Soul" and "Shapes of Things," and
the Who's "The Seeker."
"Feedback" marks the first time the band will release cover material,
Lifeson says, pointing out the only cover the band ever recorded was "Not
Fade Away." That song appeared on an early version of its debut CD, though
it's not on the official version released in 1974.
On "Feedback," Lifeson says, the band "Rushified" the enduring tunes, giving
them their own edge.
"We didn't want to copy them as they were," he says. "We didn't see the
point. We changed some of the songs around, gave them different character."
While compiling the CD, the band "sifted through all these old songs from
bands from the '60s, from bands we played in basement guitar bands before
Rush. We recorded it in two-and-a-half weeks, and it was just like the old
days," Lifeson says.
"We just had a ball."
Post-Dispatch Pop Music Critic